The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-17

MARCHIoNEss AND MARQUIS OF LoRNE.
Crimea, where they were joined by the Turks,
and the tedious siege Of Sebastopol began.
The battles Of Balaklava and lnkermann and
the wonderful "charge of the Light Brigade"
were incidents of this war. The sutferings OF
the British troops and the general inefiicency
of the commissary department showed that tho
sinews Of British war administration had been
relaxed by the long peace since Waterloo
called peace because they had no wars with
other than half civilized peoples In this war
Florence Nightingale began the system Of
nurse and sanitary organization which is
such pleasing feature of recent wars. Peace
was made by the treaty of Paris March 30,
1856; but all the settlements made in it have
been unsettled by subsequent events
In 1857 the Sepoys, native troops in the
British service, rebelled in India and massa-
cred many hundred English including women
and children. They were subdued and pun.
ished with extreme severity In 1856 begnn
another war with China; the French and
British fleets bombarded Canton; the Chinese
made trade concessions to both nations, and
have since maintained ministers at the courts
OF other countries. In 1853 Japan granted
the rights of trade in her port to Great
Britain, and after that to other ma
tions. In 1861 the American civil
war began, and the failure of the cotton sup
ply brought misery TO nearly million Brit
ish laborers; but after the terrible winter Of
1S63-64 partial supplies came from India and
elsewhere. The British authorities allowed
vessels TO be built in their ports for the south
ern Confederacy, which became privateers,
destroying American merchant vessels. For
eight years the two nations were hostile in
feeling, but in 1871 the matters were ar
ranged by treaty, and court of arbitration
at Geneva, early in 1872, decided that Eng
land should pay the United States s15, 900, 600
damages. The dispute about the island of
San Juan, IN the channel between Vancou-
vers island and Oregon, was referred to the
Emperor OF Germany, who decided that it
belonged to the United States, whereupon
the British evacuated it. In the early part Of
1861 the queens mother, the Duchess of Kent,
died, and on Dec. 10 that year she lost her
husband.
The American war was soon followed by
the Fenian troubles in Ireland, largely ex-
cited by 1rish-Americans, veterans Of our
war, and these continued at short intervals
for several years. In 1870 the Protestant
church establishment in Ireland was
abolished chiefly by the exertons of Mr..
Gladstone, and since Jan /, 1871, the tithes
for that church have not been collected In
1901, also, the elementary education acts
were put in force in England and Wales, by
which parents are compelled to school their
children between and 13 years of age In
1872 voting by ballot was established. In
1874 MIR. Gladstone and the Wings went out Of
power and Mr.. Disraeli became prime minister.
with a Tory or Conservative government,
and soon after began the heated struggle over
Irish affairs, which is just now in its most ex-
citing stage Meanwhile, in 1868 had o.
CURED the war with Abyssinia, in which Sir
Robert Napier, with 10000 men, captured
King Theodore's capital, the king committing
suicide And now England became still fur
ther complicated with the affairs Of Egypt
and the east On May /, 1876, at the in
stance of the premier, Queen Victoria was
proclaimed empress Of India, and on Aug. IS
Mr.. Disraeli was raised to the peerage for his
services, becoming Lord Beaconsfield Sir
Stafford Northcote succeeded him as leader
Of the house of commons.
All this time the eastern question" so
called, continued to agitate Europe and en-
barrass the rulers OF England; Lord Sails
bury and Sir Henry Elliot represented Eng
land at a conference held with other great
powers at ConStantinople, but nothing was
settled. In 1856 there was war between
Turkey and some of her rebellous Christian
subjects, led by Seryin, and on April 2i, 1877,
Russia once more declared war against
Turkey. After some preliminary defeats the
Russians swept all before them, and thoir
armies were almost within sight of Constan-
tinople when England interpoSed Bismarck
invited the great powers to conference,
which met at Berlin, Lord Beaconsfield re-
presenting England, and adopted the treaty
Of Berlin June l3, 1878
BY this treaty the Christian subjects Of the
sultan were secured degree OF self govern
ment; but other troubles have followed. as
these diverse Christian races agree in moth
ing but dread and hatred of the Turks. The
Slav and the Greek, the Serb and the Bull
garian, the Roumanian and Montenegran
distrust and despise each other, while ali of
them persecute the Israeite So the in
trigues OF Russia and the uneasiness of Eng
land continue and the year 1887 brings us
renewed uncertainty on the eastern ques-
tion, the morning paper confidently predict
ing war when the evening paper had given
cheerful assurance of peace. In 1879 occurred
the Zulu war, in South Africa, made notable
by the death Of the Prince Imperial, only son
Of Napoleon II and Eugenie who volunteered
in quarrel not his own, and died in the
desert by the spear Of a barbarian. His
father, captured by the Prussians in 1870.
died in exile at Chiselhurst, England, in Janu-
ary, 1873; and Eugenie, for twenty wears en-
press and leader Of fashion for the civilized
world Is now passing an old age in obscurity,
childless widow.
In ireland, also, there is renewed trouble.
The tenants have formed league and com
bined to fight for lower rents, and after
assuming protean phases, the contest is Just
now threatening to become civil war The
Tories now in power in the British parliament
propose a system Of severe coercion, which il
resisted by Gladstone and the Liberals; and
the contest is shaking the kingdom. In all
other parts the empire is at peace, and the
rivival of trade gives promise Of general con-
tent for this year Of jubilee.